Katao
Foreigners brought to Ohma as slaves of the Rannican Empire, the Kataosha are a misunderstood and widely disliked ethnicity of humans. Though once renowned for the treachery and evil of their Heavenly Emperor, the Kataosha seek now to prove that they have moved beyond such barbarism and are as respectable as anyone else. Katao is a land steeped in mysticism. Creatures such as the oni, kitsune, tengu, and countless other strange beings of legend inhabit its forests and mountains. Most of these beings are regarded as the reincarnated spirits of Katao ancestors, and are given worship and admiration (or at least fearful appeasement, in the case of the more deadly and agressive spirits). Now that the institution of the Heavenly Emperor has been broken, spirit worship, or Zen-Tsue, is once again a legal and openly practiced religion in Katao. Physical Description The Kataosha are easily identifiable by several unique physical traits. They naturally have straight black hair, fair skin, and almond-shaped, brown eyes. They are shorter than most other humans and tend to have a slighter build. Women have soft facial features, and both men and women have small noses and mouths in comparison to other races. Men and women of all social ranks wear loose-fitting clothing, with pants being tied at the waist and cuffed at or below the knee. In formal situations, men and women wear robe-like garments called kimono, made of several layers of heavy cloth. More wealthy Kataosha wear brightly colored, beautifully embroidered kimono. Culture and History In the old land from whence they came, the Kataosha were known to worship a kind of dragon known as ryu. These creatures resemble typical dragons, but they lack wings and horns, instead possessing antlers made of a wood-like material, manes of fur, and long tendrils on either side of their snout. The ryu informed most of early Kataosha culture; they gave to the humans their knowledge of ki, their reverence of their ancestor's spirits, their sense of honor, and their love of tea. Ryu ''have not been seen since the Katao were enslaved by Rannica, and it is unknown if they still exist, or ever existed in the first place. After Rannica fell, the Kataosha experienced a great exodus to their homeland. They closed themselves off from the outside world, vowing never again to be enslaved by anyone. in PE 368, an unnamed man rose up to create an empire for Katao: he called himself Emperor Dao Jiang (which means Hand of Heaven), and he conquered much of eastern Alnia. Along the way, Dao Jiang made illegal any other religion, including the widely popular Zen-Tsue and the ascetic, enlightenment-focused Xiaolen. Inevitably, Alnia struck back, and the result was a sixty-nine year conflict, the result of which no one desired. Though the king of Alnia was killed in battle, Katao was defeated, and the Heavenly Emperor was assassinated. In modern times, Katao is ruled by ''daimyo, influential samurai lords who own large tracts of land. Each daimyo is independent and each tract of land is sovereign. Daimyo employ hundreds of samurai, typically aristocrats who serve in exchange for leasing part of his lord's land. This feudal system has been copied in some sense by the people of Westmark, and seems to be very successful. Xiaolen monks live in mountaintop monasteries, focusing on internal enlightenment, self-perfection, and the improvement of their ki. ''Many monks travel the world, spreading their enlightement with others and attempting to gain even more wisdom and experience. Because of this, monasteries of all sorts have begun to spring up, some adhering to Xiaolen philosophy, but others being dedicated to various gods, such as Boddhis, the Rannican god that most closely embodies Xiaolen teachings. Names Among the Kataosha, the family name comes before the given name. '''Male Names' Akira, Borin, Cheung, Hwan, Lee, Shujiang, Subotai, Taka, Yeun, Ziang Female Names Ai, Chaoxing, Daolan, Fumiki, Hanako, Lao, Minori, Wazuka, Xiulan, Zhenzhen Family Names Bosha, Danatsuka, Izumi, Leong, Nagano